Web winding apparatus



Jan. 15, 1957" F. R. NICHOLSON WEB WINDING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 30, 1953 IN VENTOR EwzK/faymzflcZ/l Mw Z5011 ATTORNEY 1957 F. R. NICHOLSON 2,777,644

WEB WINDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 30, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fiwzlfRaymwldN/lklwlson ATTORNEY Unite States Patent WEB WINDING APPARATUS Frank Raymund Nicholson, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to E. 1. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application December 30, 1953, Serial No. 401,134

Claims. (Cl. 242-65) This invention relates to an apparatus for continuously winding a multiplicity of narrow strips of thin web, e. g., film, paper or fabric, on individual cores, and, more particularly, to an arrangement in such apparatus whereby proper web control and winding tension may be maintained.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for winding a multiplicity of continuous strips slit from a continuous web onto a multiplicity of individual cores. A further object is to provide such an apparatus for wind ng narrow strips of a film, paper, etc., upon individual cores to form rolls having smooth edges. A still further object is to provide such a wind ing apparatus wherein proper web control and uniform winding tension is maintained at all times. Other objects will be apparent from the description of the invention that follows.

The above objects are accomplished in accordance with the present invention by providing an apparatus comprising a multiplicity of individual rotatable primary driving means mounted freely on a common drive shaft, spacing means secured to said shaft for driving and separating each of said driving means, a multiplicity of secondary driving means rotatably mounted on a stationary shaft positioned parallel to said driven shaft, each of said first driving means being connected to a corresponding secondary rotatable driving means through a power transmitting linkage, and a multiplicity of individual pivot arms mounted upon said stationary shaft, said pivot arms being rotatable independently of said secondary driving means, the free ends of each of said pivot arms being provided with a rotatable chuck assembly, each of said chuck assemblies being connected to a corresponding secondary driving means through a power transmitting linkage, each of said chuck assemblies providing for rigid mounting thereon of a core upon which a continuous strip of a web is wound, each of said cores being in rotating contact with a common film driving roll.

The present apparatus may be more clearly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a simplified schematic drawing of a slitting apparatus embodying apparatus of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1 showing the multiple wind-up arrangement of the present invention and the relative positions of the driving means, e. g., pulleys, and spacer rings, on the driven shaft and the driven elements associated therewith;

Figure 3 is a modification of Fig. 1 showing a preferred embodiment of the first and secondary drive means; and

Figure 4 is a mechanical drawing illustrating an assembly sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 1 illustrates the path of a continuous length ofa thermoplastic film F as it is unwound from a supply roll A and is thereafter slit by knife K positioned between supporting rolls B and C and then over the surface of the main film driving roll M. From the film M 2,777,644 HC Fatented Jan. 15, 1957 driving roll M (the film at this stage being in the form of multiple narrow strips), one strip of the film is wound upon a cardboard core E mounted at the free end of the pivot arm P of the apparatus of the present invention. The next adjacent strip of film is wound upon core E mounted at the free end of pivot arm P and so on, i. e., each strip of film is individually wound on a separate core disposed as hereinafter described. In the de scription of the apparatus of the present invention shown in Figure 1, it should be understood that the apparatus comprised of parts D, E, G, H, P, etc., is substantially identical to the apparatus comprised of parts D, E, G, H, P, etc., and that the parts are duplicated in accordance with the number of strips of film to be wound. Figure l is meant to illustrate the general type of slitting apparatus wherein the apparatus of the present invention is highly useful. It should be understood, however, that the present apparatus may be employed in any type of slitting apparatus wherein the slit lengths of film are ultimately conducted onto a roll of the type illustrated in Figure l as film driving roll M. An embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, as shown in Figure 1, comprises a primary driving means in the form of a pulley H mounted freely or loosely, that is, not attached, to a postively driven cylindrical drive shaft D. These pulleys, when a multiplicity thereof are employed, as shown in Figure 2, are spaced apart from each other by metal spacer rings S, S, etc., which are keyed to the mandrel or shaft, these spacer rings being free to move avially or longitudinally on the drive shaft. The assembly is held together in close contact by applying a lateral thrust upon the assembly, for example, by compression springs 13 and 1 and by this arrangement the keyed spacer rings frlctionally drive the individual pulleys. To provide for slippage between the interfaces of the metal spacer rings and the pulleys, the contacting surface are machined smooth. The pulley H mounted on the drive shaft D is connected by means of a belt G to a freely rotating compound pulley N mounted on a stationary shaft T positioned parallel to the drive shaft D. immediately adjacent to the pulley N is a pivot arm P mounted on stationary shaft T and free to rotate on shaft T independently of pulley N. The free end of the pivot arm is provided with a short shaft or mandrel upon which is mounted a rotatable chuck arrangement Y which provides for rigidly mounting thereon a core E. The core E which may be of cardboard, wood, metal, plastic, etc., is in rotating contact with the surface of the film driving roll M; and the core E is positively driven in a direction opposite thereto. Although drive shaft D is always driven at a greater rotational speed than the pulley H slippage between spacer ring 8 and pulley H is ever present; and this provides for positively driving core E at a surface speed equal to the surface speed of film driving roll M. The chuck assembly on which the core is mounted is driven by means of a belt I linking it with the freely rotating compound pulley N mounted on the stationary shaft T at the fixed end of the pivot arm P.

It should be emphasized that the cores are positively driven by the driven shaft and associated driven elements at a surface speed equal to the film driving roll M in order that sufiicient tension is maintained upon the strips of film being wound. As the roll W of film builds up, the rate of rotation of the roll will be decreased uniformly, causing increased slippage between the smooth contacting surfaces of the pulleys H, H and spacer rings S, S on the driven shaft. This slippage between smooth metalsurfaces provides for maintenance of the proper degree of v winding tension upon the strips of film.

number ofindividual drive 'shafts which may be employed with webdriving roll, M, of- Figure l; For example, a third drive shaft with a corresponding stationary shaft andthe desired numberfof individual driving means for indiviclual pivot armsfmay be mounted iaisrqpsr space relatidn with web driving rollivil Such an arrangerrienf is necessary for winding strips of film or fabricas nsirssi'as' 11" because the width of the pivot arm structure neces sary for providing a rigid structure would not permit mounting adjacent cores c1oseeuough to wind as narrowas 4, that is, when only two drive shafts are employed.

T poweriransmitting linkage between each of the indiv rial rotatable driving means and each secondary dnvingmeans ay be in the form of belts driyen by pulleys, as shbwn in Figures 1 and 2; or they may he linked through other suitable means so long as provision ismade to permit slippage between the interfacial surfaces f the keyed spacer rings and the rotatable driving means mounted freely upon the drive shaft. A pre' ferried means" is to transmit power from the drive shaft to the secondary driving means mounted on the stationary gears instead of by means of pulleys and beltsl Thisis for the purpose of providing for easier assembly views show a portion of a drive shaft 3 upon which are mounted circular gears 4. By the term freely mounted is meant that the gear, or in other cases, a

pulley, is merely slipped onto a cylindrical shaft, that is, in the same manner as a washer is slipped on a rod, the fit being relatively close, but there being no connection between thegear or pulley and the driven mandrel. in Figures 3 and 4, the'teeth ofgear 4,'fric-' tionally driven by keyed spacer rings 2 intermesh with the teeth of gear 5 rotataoly mounted upon stationary shaft 6. Gear? is combined Withsprocket 7 which is connected t o t hechuck assembly 8 by means of a toothed belt 9. The, chuck assembly 8 is rotatably mounted at the. free end o f piv ot arnil-O. A core 11; is shown mounted upon chuck assembly 8. The fixed end of the pivot arm itl is pos' ioned; or fixed onto the stationary shaft 6 by, means of eccentric clamps 12.

The chuck assembly on which the cores are rigidly mounted may 'vary in general construction, but such an assembly comprises a chuck and a collet, The assembly may rotate on journal hearings or on ball bearings. In particular, the collet should provide for rigid mounting of the core, that is, the core will not-wobble. Types of collets which provide for substantially rigid mounting. include a rubber cylindrical collet havingmetal strips embedded in the outer circumferential surface, the metal strips being positioned parallel to the of the cylindrical collet. Another type of collet comprises a number of circular spring belts separated by wedge-shaped rings. A screw ring serves to hold the assembly together and by applying a lateral thrust by screwing. the ring, the belts are expanded radially. The eapancled belts apply a pressure on the internal peripheral surface of the core, and thereby support the core rigidly upon the chuck.

The present apparatus is highly advantageous and generally applicable for Winding strips of any type of web, e. g., thermoplastic film, foil paper, fabric,' etc which requires, or will only tolerate, light or low winding tension. In many cases, the physical properties ot the mammal be n l req i e ha l sht td fi dn dh e e F e am e in he. as Q poly; ethylene terephthalate film, winding of those are less than 1 mil in thiekness and are lessjthan 1 in ""thf i iites ht new. e xsa nle i sufficient tension usually causes film wrinkling and lateral wander, and excessive tension causes film breakage. With other thermoplastic films, for example, polyethylene, winding strips having thicknesses less than 3 to meanso the arm adjacent thereto, a core upon which: Web is wound rigidly mounted on each of said core-U mils normally requires light winding tension. The term thermoplastic? employed herein applies to webs formed from films, filaments etc., of polyamides, polyvinylidene. chloride polyvinyl chloride, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose, polyethylene, etc., and ua -iqularla o ebs f r ed m po ye y ene. t r phtbaa lat-e film. i

I claim:

1. Web, winding apparatus comprising in combination a positively driven drive shaft, a multiplicity of indi-- .vidual primary driving means mounted on said drive shaft for free rotation thereon, spacing means secured on 1 said drive shaft for rotation therewith and arranged "to tablymounted on saidstationary drivershaft, eachQqf' said secondary driving means being aligned with --a primarydriVirig meanS; a. power transmitting linkage connecting each: of said aligned primary and secondary driving means, a plurality of'pivot arms rotatablymqunted on said stationary shaft, eacharm being dis' posed adjacent a secondary driving means, rotatable cope-supporting means mounted on the free end of each of arms, a power transmitting linkage connecting each secondary driving means and the core-supporting supporting means, and a web driving roll in peripheralrotating contact with said cores and webs being wound, thereon;

2. Web windingappar-atus according to claim 1 wherein said spacing, means comprises a plurality of flat rings securedto. said; drive shaft.

3. Webv winding apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said primary driving means, said secondary driving ea s a d. he'n w r r n m tin i k e. hereh tweeri, s Q PI $P f t t rm s i ea i 4. Web winding apparatus according to. claimv 3 wherein said, spacing means. comprises a plurality of, smoothesscl a f inss 'se uredfio s i sha t he. at ta esq aid.- vet fl r tlit qipna ;dr v as onta tw rheisidefacves. of; said primary driving, gears;

5;; In, a, web slitting machine comprisinga. web. supply. fromwhich. continuous webis-fed, means for slitting-the continuous. web. into a plurality of continuous strips, a-

positively driven'web driving-roll over which said; strips pass, and. cores in peripheral rotating contact-with the Web driving r011 andupon which said strips are wound, e p ins t Whisk 'qsai r ssi fi mbi a a pas a drive dr ve s aft. a mu t p i f r d v dualfpriv niary driving means mounted on said drive shaft for free. rotatioudhereon, spacingmeans secured on said drive shaft fonrotation therewith andxarranged to ias gt Pfim Y! ri in me n ed el ti nsh p,

5 6 of each of said arms, a power transmitting linkage con- References Cited in the file of this patent meeting each secondary driving means and the core- UNITED STATES PATENTS supporting means on the arm adjacent thereto, and one of 1 256 499 Cameron et 31 Feb 12 1918 rt 1, e 153;: :gores rigidly mounted on each of said core suppo mg 5 1,258,185 Cameron et a1 Man 5, 1918 1,506,327 Pen'ault Aug. 26, 1924 2,650,039 Carter Aug. 25, 1953 

